BajaNomad - Help Save The San Ignacio Whales!

Help Save The San Ignacio Whales!

BajaGeoff - 3-8-2007 at 05:18 PM

For San Diego area Nomads:

Dear Friends,

The International Community Foundation (ICF) is recruiting volunteers to participate in a U.S.-Mexico binational campaign titled “Movimiento Azteca”. The campaign will take place March 15th, 2007 to raise $500,000 to protect 500 gray whales in Laguna San Ignacio, Baja California Sur, Mexico.

Thanks to the support of KPBS, ICF will be hosting an all-day phone bank on March 15th to receive donations from the public. We need as many volunteers as possible to answer 15 phone lines.

We have TWO SHIFTS available:

MORNING: 8 a.m.-11 a.m.
EVENING: 5:30 p.m.-11 p.m.

We thank all those who have replied showing support and offering to circulate this e-mail among friends and colleagues. Thanks to that we have 9 volunteers, but we need many more!!!

If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Julieta Mendez BY MARCH 12TH at julieta@icfdn.org or by phone at (858) 677-2913 (e-mail is preferred), with your name, contact information, the shift and number of hours that you are available to volunteer. Every little bit counts! So please, circulate this e-mail among colleagues, friends and family that may be interested in volunteering!

Volunteers must be able to answer questions and take information from callers in Spanish and English.

For your reference, the phone bank is located in KPBS San Diego Studios:

Shiley Studio A. KPBS
San Diego, CA 92182

To learn more about the Movimiento Azteca Campaign please visit: http://www.icf-xchange.org/graywhales/

Thank you for your support!

Julieta

Julieta Mendez
Program Officer-Health & Human Services
International Community Foundation
11300 Sorrento Valley Rd. Suite 115
San Diego, CA 92121

O: (858) 677-2913
F: (858) 677-2918
E: julieta@icfdn.org
www.icfdn.org

David K - 3-8-2007 at 05:55 PM

Protect them from what? Why just 500? Aren't they doing just fine? Who gets the money? How is the money going to protect 500 whales?

Sounds fishey to me!

Ditto David

The Gull - 3-8-2007 at 08:42 PM

$8 million buys what? Ejidos?

http://www.icfdn.org/campaigns/signacio_whalefund/conservati...

From the financials, it looks like the foundation has raised over $12.5M in the last two years and distributed over $7M and that they think that $250,000 could be used to keep the whale project on track, but eventually would seek $8M.

Did I get it right?

[Edited on 3-9-2007 by The Gull]

Crusoe - 3-8-2007 at 09:04 PM

Lets just start and say.... The whales in San Ignacicio do not need any more help by humans!! Like all whales, they just need to be left alone for a while. This concept has been studied by many of the very best marine bioligists internationally, and agreed on by all of the most educated and compassionete lovers of all whale species. The funds... and energy need to be focused on cleaning up the ocean's , and polution in them as we now know and see and feel them for recreation, and stop killing the little things that are trying to survive in them. Just another "in touch opinion"

jerry - 3-8-2007 at 09:21 PM

another oppertunity for people who feel like they should appeas their minds by throuing money at any problem

David K - 3-8-2007 at 10:08 PM

Or putting that money in their own pockets!

Can I start a 'Save the Boojums' foundation??

Potential members can send $250 to me and I promiss to name a boojum after them and everyone knows a boojum with a name will meet no harm!

You will receive a cerificate from the IBS (International Boojum Society) with a photo and GPS waypoint of YOUR boojum.

Since there are (almost) as many boojums as stars in the sky, nobody will be left out of this opportunity to have a boojum named after them!

[Edited on 3-10-2007 by David K]

11-26-05 024R.JPG - 36kB

Don Alley - 3-8-2007 at 10:25 PM

Yeah, well...ok..

I don't know anything about these whale people or what they do with the money, but...

These days wild animal populations often need a well-financed constituency to cover their butts. Ultimately there always seem to be competing uses for them or their habitat that would enrich someone at the species expense.

The Japanese are not complacent; they work hard to revive the commercial whaling industry. Then there's commercial, tourist and residential development, desal plants in the SOC, increasing hordes of ecotourists...with or without these whale-saving guys, I'm glad I'm not a whale. :biggrin:

capt. mike - 3-9-2007 at 05:31 AM

save the whales.............harpoon a fat chick........

i am going to baja in 3 hours...............yee haw!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ken Bondy - 3-9-2007 at 08:08 AM

Their website states their mission:

mission statement
The International Community Foundation seeks to increase charitable giving and volunteerism across U.S. borders to benefit overseas communities and non-profit organizations.

jimgrms - 3-9-2007 at 08:55 AM

sounds bogus to me jmho

Tomas Tierra - 3-9-2007 at 09:25 AM

Could have used "thier" help several years ago when battleing Mitsubishi..

As Crusoe said, the San Ig whales need to be left alone if anything...

Hook - 3-9-2007 at 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ken Bondy
Their website states their mission:

mission statement
The International Community Foundation seeks to increase charitable giving and volunteerism across U.S. borders to benefit overseas communities and non-profit organizations.

Wow, a foundation set up to funnel money to other foundations........wonder what their take is?

The Gull - 3-9-2007 at 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Hook
Wow, a foundation set up to funnel money to other foundations........wonder what their take is?

They show all financials on their website. www.icfdn.org

Crusoe - 3-9-2007 at 02:31 PM

Its all ok........ And business as usual.... north of the border is just like south of the border.....In the U.S. we have and use the option of " The Presidential Pardon".......remember the name Richard Nixon? or maybe just incase youve got a mild case of amnesia.....Iran Contra....... Both big expensive high dollar debacles. :fire:

tripledigitken - 3-9-2007 at 02:37 PM

...............and brought to you by KPBS what a surprize. And maybe your gift for your charitable donation of $75 will be copy of Al Gores book "An Inconvienent Truth".

:barf:

BajaGeoff - 3-9-2007 at 03:02 PM

Hmmmmmmmmm......I am sensing a bit of cynicism here.

Well....if they are not able to preserve the land around San Ignacio then I am sure there will be some nice big real estate developments going in really soon. Somehow, I don't think that is a better option though...nor one that most Nomads would think is an "improvement" in Baja.

CWF - 3-9-2007 at 03:03 PM

It sounds to me like the woman who wrote the initial request: Julieta Mendez, Program Officer-Health & Human Services of the ICF, chose her words poorly, choosing to play on the fears and heart strings instead of the readers' intelligence. The creation of conservation easements (which the majority of the money collected would be earmarked for) on all the lands surrounding the lagoon are a good thing. Just because the lagoon is part of the Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve doesn't mean the Federal lands on the north shore or one of the ejidos other than the Ejido Luis Echeverría Alvarez could not be sold to developers.

BajaGeoff - 3-9-2007 at 09:23 PM

Well, I am sure you would agree that significant development in the San Ignacio area would end up affecting the habitat of the whales.....I believe that was the point they were trying to convey.

BajaDanD - 3-10-2007 at 01:17 AM

Development around San Ignacio Yeah right !!! its a dust bowl and any place there larger then a small shack like Kayuma would not survive long
I thought the worry about San Ignacio was saltworks not resorts
DAND

[Edited on 3-10-2007 by BajaDanD]

Mexitron - 3-10-2007 at 09:36 AM

Leaving the whales alone is the best course for their conservation, but, eventually, with marinas and development talked about in the article, the whales would high-tail it out of there. If the surrounding ejidos don't want development and donations are sufficient to keep them from selling to developers I don't see any problem with that.

Mexitron - 3-10-2007 at 09:38 AM

And David K--I'll join the Boojum Society :lol:

...where do I get my bumper sticker!?

Doing My Part

MrBillM - 3-10-2007 at 09:50 AM

I have resolved to give up those Broiled Whale Burgers and Whale Roasts.

I have stopped filling my lamps with Whale Oil.

My wife has given away her Whalebone Corset and will not replace it.

It should help some.

DianaT - 3-10-2007 at 09:52 AM

And the owner of the Hotel Posada in San Ignacio told us there are plans for paving the road begining in April---

That sure would make it easier for potential development :fire:

Wish I knew if this outfit was legitimate or what.

Diane

Bob H - 3-10-2007 at 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by David K
Can I start a 'Save the Boojums' foundation??

Potential members can send $250 to me and I promiss to name a boojum after them and everyone knows a boojum with a name will meet no harm!

You will receive a cerificate from the IBS (International Boojum Society) with a photo and GPS waypoint of YOUR boojum.

Since there are (almost) as many boojums as stars in the sky, nobody will be left out of this opportunity to have a boojum named after them!

[Edited on 3-10-2007 by David K]

David, that is hilarious! :lol:

David K - 3-10-2007 at 10:12 AM

Yah Bob, well if you can pay to have a star named after you... why not a boojum tree? :light:

Bumber Stickers Ready

DianaT - 3-10-2007 at 10:35 AM

David K - 3-10-2007 at 10:48 AM

That's great Diane, let's create a panic... Boojums are falling! I know, 'a boojum crisis'... Let's get those checks rolling in... then I could give them 'monthly updates'! :lol:

NEWS FLASH! Boonjums are morphing into animal characters!

Pompano - 3-10-2007 at 11:14 AM

A very bizarre event is taking place in the Baja desert. Once normal boonjums have recently started a weird 'change' into animals. Biologists are puzzled.

Here is a newly formed mastadon....

(David K. I would like this one named Pompano, thanks..the check is in the mail.)

- 1 a boonjum (1).jpg - 30kB

Catavina Tweetie Bird

Pompano - 3-10-2007 at 11:16 AM

"Ah tot ah saw a Baja puddy tat....Ah did, Ah did!"

- 1 a boonjum.jpg - 41kB

Santiago - 3-11-2007 at 06:58 AM

"Thufferin' thuckatash" Pomp - that's pretty good. By the way, if Sylvester lisped at the begginging of the word, why not on the 'sh' at the end????

Only four days left

The Gull - 3-11-2007 at 08:33 AM

to volunteer for the save the whale phone banks. With all the respondents to this string, I'm sure there are lots of potential volunteers and contributors.